


16 by 6, Brother, and Under We Go

by Imagine_The_Fandoms



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels as Merpeople (Supernatural), Awkward Conversations, Blindness, Castiel & Sam Winchester Friendship, Castiel Whump (Supernatural), Confused Sam Winchester, Enochian-Speaking Castiel (Supernatural), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), Idiots in Love, M/M, Merman Castiel, No Smut, Sam Winchester is So Done, Slow Burn, Take Your Fandom to Work Day, fishmerman dean, gabriel is a good bro, im putting this bitch on simmer, irregular updates, like really slow burn, temporarily blind castiel, theres a bunch of other fandomreferences in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:00:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21982567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagine_The_Fandoms/pseuds/Imagine_The_Fandoms
Summary: When Dean Winchester was 3, a blue scale washed up next to his toes on the beachHis mother told him that it was from a mermaid, and that good luck would follow him around because the sea had given him it's protectionSo he'd punched a hole in it and worn it around his neck.Dean Winchester is now 30, his mother died when he was 4, their house had burned down, his dad had become a drunk and left when he was 14, his little brother nearly hadn't made it to his 4th birthday and to top it all off, he was going to get evicted if he didn't pay the rent this month.Yeah, some real good luck-Updates every second Thursday-
Relationships: Castiel & Gabriel (Supernatural), Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Comments: 10
Kudos: 40





	1. I That Am Lost

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters are the lines from Eurus' song from The Final Problem  
> 27 chapters  
> hoo boy
> 
> Also, the timeline is wonky as all fuck but hey, artistic license. Basically, Sam's only just going to Stanford and he's 26 instead of 22 and Dean is 30 instead 26. I wanted them to be a little older don't @ me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean didn't know that merpeople existed   
> Well... not until one washes up on the beach, beaten and bloody and probably about to die  
> The fuck's he going to do now?

Dean was many things. Superstitious was not one of them. 

Once upon a time he'd heard the song of the sea and he trusted it.

26 years later, he was less inclined to believe anything less than fact. He'd stopped wearing the scale the second time money had run out. Good luck my ass. Not that it had changed anything but if he squinted and tilted his head his just right, Dean could convince himself he had some control over his life. 

Life was tough, if not basic. Wake up at 3, maybe eat something for breakfast, start up Baby and sail out to check the nets by 5. Haul them all in by 6, bait them by 7:30, toss them back out again and leave the area by 9. Haul ass to market . Get to Bobby's by 12:30, eat the sandwich that Sam packed, run the shop until 3:45. Head to Harvelle's Roadhouse at 5. Work the nightshift till 9. Get home at 9:25. Make dinner for Sammy. Do laundry if needed, check gear. Go to bed at 10:30. Rinse and repeat.

Dean slept through most weekends. Working three part-time jobs was exhausting and when he wasn't working, he was worrying, which was just as tiring. Worrying about getting Sam through collage, worrying if he was going to be homeless next month, worrying if he was going to be able to get them both dinner, **wondering** when he was going to catch a fucking break.

Apparently, 'a break' came in the form of a letter. "Dean? DEAN?!" he heard his brother shriek from outside. Dean nearly dropped the plate he was holding in his scramble out the door. 

"What is it?! Do I need to shoot something?" he rushed out before he realized that the younger Winchester was smiling. 

"Look Dean. Full ride to Stanford" It took a few moments for that to sink in. A fully paid scholarship. To _Stanford_. Dean was maybe about 3 seconds away from tearing up as he yanked his brother into a hug.

"You did it Sammy" he murmured into his ear, rocking the two of them back and forth ever so slightly. "I'm so damn proud of you" When the separated, Sam was surreptitiously swiping the back of his hand across his eyes. 

"Thanks Dean." Green eyes sparkled for the first time in way too long. 

"If only Mom could see you now" Sam's smile got wider somehow, teeth standing out against slightly tanned skin.

"She can, Dean. She's almost as proud as you are"

The two went back into the cramped apartment that they'd called home for the past couple of years and Dean felt a huge weight lift off his chest. They barely scraped by as it was. They had savings of course, savings that Dean had been putting every extra penny into to try and get Sam at least through freshman year of collage. Those savings could be put to something else now. Maybe they'd be able to have heat this year. He clapped his hands together, 

"So, when do I get to shove you out of the house?" he asked. Sam chuckled.

"Jerk"

"Bitch"

The conversation died out sometime around midnight and Dean thanked whatever entity was out there that it was a Friday. 

* * *

Dean's alarm buzzed and he groaned, flopping onto his side and slapping at the clock, groaning again when the familiar red 3:00 stood out stark in the darkness. He grunted and hauled himself upright, knowing he wasn't going to go back to sleep again and changed into a pair of jeans a flannel, carelessly tossing a jacket over the ensemble as an afterthought. Dean locked the door as quietly as he could, as not to wake Sam, and strolled down towards the beach, patting Baby as he passed her. She'd been his Dad's until he'd left. John Winchester, the mariner. Dean scoffed and made his way down the shoreline, boots crunching in the sand. John Winchester, the douchebag who'd left his kids in a foster home and never looked back sounded more accurate. A pained cry drew him out of his thoughts. 

"Hello?" he called out into the salty air. "Is anyone there?" The sound came again from further down the beach and Dean broke into a jog. "Where are you?" he muttered under his breath. His eyes raked the shoreline, landing on a clump of wet, barnacle covered rocks. In the moon's faint glow, he could just make out the shape of a man's torso. He sprinted over to the prone form, the closer he got, the more he could hear it, little whimpers of agony dying out into silence. He'd only heard someone make that sound once, and they hadn't made it. "Shit man are you alrigh-holyfuckwhatisthat" His voice died out. Possibly the handsomest man he'd set eyes on lay battered and bloody against one of the rocks but that wasn't what caught his attention. Attached to his unfairly tanned torso was a tail, covered in blue scales that shone with something that Dean couldn't recognize. 

A tail, covered in shiny blue scales, and pierced through with a harpoon. Fuck. 

* * *

Dean wasn't quite sure what to do, no had ever told him about first aid for mermen. Hell, he hadn't known they'd even existed until five seconds ago. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths and willed his hands to stop shaking. Ok, first things first, get him laying flat. He knew well enough that the rocks were covered in barnacles and shells and the dude's back was going to be sliced to all hell. Coming to a decision, he stripped off his flannel and jacket, setting them aside. Then, reaching around the merman's back, he carefully peeled his shoulders away from the rock and maneuvered him into a more or less sitting position. He was unconscious and was draped over Dean's arm but it gave him access to asses the damage. 

He was right, it was bad. Thankfully, there were only a few shells cutting into the skin and Dean pinched them out as fast as he could. Keeping the merman propped upright, he reached over as far as he could and soaked his flannel in seawater, wringing it out over the cuts. He repeated the action a few times and thankfully, the man remained asleep. Dean wasn't sure if he would have survived the pain had be been conscious. With most of the blood gone, he could see the damage a little more clearly. He didn't have any bandages so reluctantly, he shucked his undershirt and ripped it into one long strip. It wouldn't help all that much but it was something. With the merman's back kind of taken care of, he gingerly rolled him over onto his stomach, taking extra time and caution with the tail.

_Tail_. Dean let that sink in for a moment. There was an actual merperson with an actual tail laying dying on the beach in front of him. Well, the weekend would've been boring anyway. 

Dean looked at the harpoon. The man was already losing a lot of blood and he knew that taking it out would make it worse. That being said, he couldn't exactly leave it sticking out that long. "Sorry man, this is going to hurt" he muttered. taking the wooden shaft, he carefully maneuvered himself so that a foot was over the joint where metal met wood and with a sharp kick, snapped the end off. A piercing scream rolled across the beach and he dropped to his knees, covering his ears. When the ringing stopped he looked at the man again. He was still unconscious, but his eyes had begun to shift underneath closed eyelids and Dean realized he should probably try and get him somewhere more secluded. He grabbed his wet flannel and tied It awkwardly around the evil-looking barb. "Well, it ain't much but it'll do" 

Dean sighed, back muscles protesting as he stood up. There was a rock pool that he knew of, relatively secluded and definately large enough and he resolved to bring the merman there. The only problem was trying to move 200-something pounds of tail half a mile down the shoreline. Glancing around, he spotted the shed where he usually kept his gear. He bit his lip, it wasn't too far but he really didn't want to leave the creature alone, lest he get dragged in by the waves again. Coming to a decision, he scraped a shallow ditch in the sand in front of the merman incase he rolled forward and hauled ass to the shed, practically ripping the lock off the hinges and digging through various equipment until he found what he was looking for, cart he loaded his fish onto every morning. **(AN: If you've ever been to Costco, Sam's, or a gardening store, you've probably seen one. The base is made of the same stuff as a shopping cart and there's one handle and its a flat rectangle? Idk I cant explain it very well)**

Pushing it awkardly back across the sand, he spread his jacket over the metal and very slowly lifted the merman onto it, trying to make sure his tail wouldn't get caught under the wheels. Half an hour later, Dean and his cargo arrived at the rock pool, sweaty, tired and covered in sand. He took a few deep breaths, trying to get oxygen back into his lungs. _C'mon Dean. Just get the guy in the water and you can go back to bed._

Lifting the merman for the third time, he manages to get him into the rock pool with a loud splash that soaks him all over again. Peering over the edge, he noticed that the man was sinking to the bottom and nearly dove in after him before he realized that it was a fucking merman. They lived _under_ the water. Dragging a hand down his face, he left the cart where it was and began the long trek back to his house, the sun already rising and throwing pink and yellow light over the sea-foam. It was then that he realized that he was shirtless and covered in blood and should probably get home before someone spotted him and called 911. Jogging the rest of the way back, he raced in and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. 

"Dean?" he heard Sam ask incredulously from the kitchenette. "What the hell happened?" The older Winchester put his hands on his knees and huffed loudly, dragging air into his lungs. 

"I think I met a mermaid"


	2. Oh Who Will Find Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd, now the merman's awake.  
> Great.

_"I think I just met a mermaid"_

"Dean? Have you been at Jo's too long again?" Sam asked a little worriedly. Dean shook his head frantically, still huffing for breath. 

"No, there's an actual mermaid and he's hurt. There's a harpoon shoved through his tail"

"Merman" Dean's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes. Sam shrugged.

"You said mermaid right? If it's a he, then it's merman" 

"Ok fuck you-" 

"Wait, you're serious right? There's an actual injured merman on the beach?" His brother nodded. 

"I cleaned him up as best I could, put him in the rockpool we used to go to as kids. I'm not sure how long he'll stay unconscious though..." Sam nodded and reached under the kitchen sink for the med kid that he and Dean practically lived out of. 

"There isn't much in here. I doubt it's enough" he mused thoughtfully. "Especially if there's a literal harpoon stuck in him. Is there an exit wound?"

"Ergh, yeah. I didn't take it out yet, it think it's the only think keeping him from bleeding out" The younger Winchester dropped a lighter, the last of their whiskey, and a particularly evil looking steak knife into the kit. 

"Well come on then. I guess we've got a surgery to do" 

An hour later, the brothers came to a stop in front of the rock pool. "It's gonna be a lot to take in. So just, don't freak out too much alright?" Sam made a non-committal noise and stepped around the few remaining boulders. He nearly dropped the med kit. Floating in the rock pool was, in fact, a merman, although he quickly made a distressed noise and shot to the bottom of it, peering fearfully up at the two humans. 

"You really weren't kidding" Sam managed. Dean grinned and slapped him on the shoulder as he walked past, leaning at the edge of the water. 

"Hey buddy! Remember me? I found you yesterday, we just wanna get that thing out of your tail" he yelled into the water. The merman shrank further away, blue eyes wide and scared. 

"I think you're scaring him, Dean" his brother muttered, sinking to his knees as well. He waved at the merman, trying to keep a friendly smile on his face. "We just want to help" he said slowly, using the voice he reserved for spooked animals. He mimed bandaging and pointed to the tail, ending with a thumbs up. 

The merman peered up at him and tilted his head, also pointing to his tail and copying Sam's thumbs up. The younger Winchester smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We want to fix your tail" 

Ever so slowly, the merman floated to the surface, still keeping his distance. "Casarma?" he said eventually. Both Sam and Dean sat back stunned. 

"He can speak?" Dean asked incredulously. "It doesn't sound like English"

"Casarma?" said the merman again. "darsar zir ol" Dean turned and shrugged haplessly. 

"God knows what he's saying" Sam stared at him for a moment. 

"OF COURSE! Dean! You're a genius!" he exclaimed, nearly tripping over himself in his rush to stand up. "Thank you!" 

"What? What'd I say?" 

" _God_ only knows Dean. He's speaking Enochian! The language of angels. I knew it sounded familiar" He started sprinting back towards their apartment. 

"Wait-Sammy?! Where are you going?!" Dean called after his retreating form. 

"BIBLE" came the faint reply. He sighed and turned back to the merman. "Little brothers huh?" he snorted.

"Gossa" he replied with what Dean could have sworn was an eye roll. 

* * *

"Uh.. Ok. Ol zir Sam. Ar I Dean" Sam was back at the rockpool again, equipped this time with a notebook and a Bible. "I think I've got the hang of this. Erm...Zomdv dooain?"

The merman's expression seemed to clear. "Castiel" Sam's eyebrows went shooting into his hairline. 

"Your name is Castiel? Dooain Castiel?" The merman-Castiel- nodded, the corners of his mouth tilting into a tiny smile. 

"Well I'll be damned. No wonder you got into Stanford" Dean gestured towards the tail. "Can you tell him we're trying to help?" 

"Gimme a moment. Not everything translates exactly to English, there are a bunch of words that don't have an Enochian equivalent" He huffed, flipping through the Bible. "Gil adagita…" he trailed off. "There's no Enochian word for help" He sighed, looking back at Castiel. "Crap...uh. Ome zol a elasa ascha?" he pointed to the tail again. "Ome iolici?" 

Castiel's eyes flickered between the two of them, clearly still deciding whether or not he could trust them. Eventually he nodded and braced his hands on the rock, hauling himself out of the water and presenting his tail to the brothers. "Help" he managed shakily. 

Sam nodded, reaching around for the med kit and pulling out the lighter and knife. "Amgedpha" he said, holding the lighter under the blade until it glowed red hot, dousing it in seawater to cool it down. "Oi gah.." he groaned quietly. No word for hurt either. "Oi gah" he repeated, then pinching himself and making a pained expression. Castiel seemed to understand. "Dean give him your hand" he muttered. 

"Eh?" 

"Give him you hand to squeeze and let him bite down on the roll of bandages. This is going to hurt like a bitch" Dean nodded and picked up the roll, putting it between his teeth and biting down. "Elasa gen" said Sam, pointing to what his brother was doing. Castiel nodded, taking the bandages and biting it too. Dean then scooted around so that Castiel was sitting between his legs, his back against Dean's chest. Offering him his hand, Castiel hesitantly took it and gave it a little squeeze.

"Good?" he asked. Castiel gave a weak thumbs up in reply. Sam took a deep breath in.

"Right. Emna omne lag. Here we go" 

Sam was right, it did hurt. If the way Castiel was squeezing Dean's hand was any indication, then the way he was letting out little screams and whimpers from around the bandages definitely sealed the deal. "You're doing great buddy. Just a little longer" He muttered, blanching as he heard something in his hand crack. Sam's tongue was poking out between his lips as he worked the knife between the metal barbs and the tail, trying to keep it from catching as he slowly wriggled it out. 

"Almost there...done!" he puffed triumphantly, flinging the barb to the side. Blood immediately welled up and Sam packed a towel on top of the wound, pressing down. "Dean, I need you to keep pressure on this while I get the needle and thread." The older Winchester nodded, leaning forward as far as he could to put a hand on top of the towel that was already soaking through. 

"Just a little longer" he murmured reassuringly. . Or so he hoped as Sam pulled the needle and thread through the open gaps in the tail. "That's it, you're doing great" Castiel's head had fallen back against Dean's chest again, eyes screwed shut. "You're almost done" He didn't really know how much good he was doing, but it seemed to be helping as Sam tied the thread off. "You alright buddy?"

Castiel gave him a look reminiscent of Sam's bitchface #28 and Dean actually laughed. "Right, let's get you in the water" Sam said, gently sliding his arms under the alarmingly dry tail. As soon as he was back in the water, the merman dove straight to the bottom again, bubbles popping to the surface in a furious stream. "Well, I guess that was that" shrugged Sam, already turning to head back home when a spout of water drew him back to the pool. Castiel had his head and shoulders poking above the water and was giving them a gummy smile.

"Thank you" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enochian translations:  
> Casarma - Whom  
> Darsar zir ol - where am I  
> Gossa - stranger  
> Ol zir - I am  
> Ar I - That is  
> Zomdv dooain - what is name?  
> Gil adagita - we want to  
> Ome zol a elasa ascha - we hands on you ok?  
> ome iolici - we begin   
> oi gah - this will  
> Amgedpha - I make new   
> Emna omne lag - Here we go


	3. Deep Down Below

The next day, the brothers went back to the rock pool, still in a mild state of shock. "Ok. I definitely operated on a merman yesterday right? Like, that wasn't an acid trip..." hissed Sam out of the corner of his mouth, tense and shifty as they made their way down the boardwalk. Dean was equally as stiff and straight-backed as he nodded. 

"I'm pretty sure yeah" 

"Right. Right" Sam cleared his throat and gave a terse smile to the couple that passed them. "Let's go check on Castiel then. Maybe we can get him back in the ocean today" Dean slowed down for half a millisecond, but it was enough. "Let me guess, you don't want him to go?" 

"No! It's not that, it's just. Well, what if he needs us again? You know..." Dean trailed off, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "Forget about it man" 

"Y'know Dean, I-"

"OH LOOK WE'RE AT THE ROCK POOL GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER HUH?" Without giving his brother any time to react, he pushed past the rocks and collapsed heavily in the sand. "Hey Cas" he offered as a way of greeting. Castiel whipped around to look at him and tilted his head. 

"Cas?" he repeated hesitantly. Dean chuckled.

"Yeah man. It's a nickname. Castiel was a bit of a mouthful. You like it?" The merman opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"I...like it" he said finally. Sam frowned thoughtfully. 

"Cas, can you understand us?" 

"...yeah" Castiel made a negative gesture with his hands and looked mildly frustrated. "and no" 

"Do you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah" 

Sam's expression cleared. "I think I've got it. He knows what the words mean but he doesn't know what to say unless we've said the words first! It's why he's saying 'yeah' instead of 'yes'" he turned back to the merman. "Did I get it right?"

"No wonder you got into...Stanford" it was slow and awkward but brought a smile to their faces. 

"Well I'll be damned. Cas, how can we help? What do you need?" Dean asked, shifting closer to the pool. "Do you want to go back to the ocean?"

"Yes.. and no" 

"Ok... Do you have somone that can help you?" 

"I have..." Castiel stopped and pointed at Dean then moving his finger to Sam. The Winchesters squinted. 

"You have us?"

"No. Well, yes. I have you but I also have a..." he repeated the action. Dean slowly shook his head. 

"Sorry man. No comprende. Sammy? Any ideas?" Sam shrugged. 

"He's pointing at the two of us. He has a...family?" After a few moments, Dean snapped his fingers.

"Brother! I think he has a brother" 

Castiel nodded gratefully. "Yes, my brother, Gabriel. He will help. He's good" There was something about that sentence that made Dean pause.

"Wait he's good? Is someone bad looking for you?" Castiel nodded. 

"Yes. My...brother" he held up two fingers. 

"You have another brother? Two brothers? And they're looking for you?"

"Yes. I need help. But I don't know...words" The brothers nodded sympathetically. 

"I can get you a dictionary. Can you read?" Castiel looked at him like he was stupid and Sam laughed, getting to his feet. "I'll be right back" and he was gone, leaving the other two in a somewhat awkward silence. 

"I wish we could do more for you" Dean murmured. Blue eyes softened. 

"You are good, Dean. You have a good.." he huffed quietly in exasperation and beckoned him closer. "A good..." and pushed on Dean's chest. 

"I have a good...heart?" 

"Yes, but you have good" he pushed Dean's chest again, a little harder this time. "In you" 

"I have good in me? Cas, you mean my soul?" The gummy smile was back and Dean wondered if it was legal to be that endearing. 

"Yes Dean. You have a good soul" Something lifted in him as Castiel said that. Something that had hurt ever since his father left. It wasn't gone by any means but... it was lessened somehow. He licked his dry lips and pretended he wasn't about to cry.

"Thanks Cas" They sat in silence once again, although it wasn't quite as awkward this time and Sam came back with a towel and a book. 

"Here. You can dry your hands with this and read if you want" he said, handing both to the merman. Castiel patted his hands on the towel and made a small contented noise at the soft texture. Moving to the book, he placed one hand on top of it and closed his eyes. Bright light seemed to erupt from behind his closed eyelids and when he opened them again, he was smiling. 

"I understand now" he said. "My brothers are looking for me. I went up to see the surface the day before Dean found me on the beach. We're not really supposed to but I was curious to see how the world had changed. My oldest brother, Michael, he wasn't pleased and came looking for me. Turns out he brough Uriel and Naiomi with him too. I was outnumbered and caught off guard. They took my grace and-" 

"Your what?" Dean interupted. 

"My grace" Castiel explained patiently. "My essence or life-force, I suppose. It's why I can stay for longer out of the water, but it's also why I cannot heal myself. I usually do not need to eat or sleep, but I've needed sustience and rest over the past few weeks" Sam slapped a hand to his forehead. 

"Shit Cas, I totally forgot about food. You must be starving. What do you eat?" 

"Seafood mostly. Fish, clams, lobsters" he shrugged. "I don't want to impose" Dean shook his head. 

"I'm a fisherman Cas, I can get you anything you need. I guess it's not safe for you to go back to the Ocean right now?" When the merman nodded in agreement, he got to his feet. "Great. I've got leftovers back at the house. Do you want it cooked or raw?" 

Castiel smiled softly. "Whatever you have is fine Dean. It's more than others would have done" Once the older Winchester had left, Sam turned back to him. 

"Where's your grace now? Maybe we can get it back" Cas' face fell.

"I don't know where mine is. It was lost to the ocean a few weeks ago. I know where one of my sibling's grace is however. My sister, Anna. She cut her own out years ago, she's living with humans now" 

"Cut her grace out?" In answer, Castiel lifted his chin and pointed to a thin scar bisecting his throat.

"It's the only way to remove our grace fully. Uriel and Naomi took mine" Sam winced and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Jeez, I'm sorry man. Where's Anna's grace now?" Cas looked up at the sky and squinted, eventually pointing to a spot a little to the left of the Winchester's apartment.

"It left the sea and became a star, falling to Earth. Where the star landed, a tree grew. That's the only place I can think of where it might be" 

Sam nodded just as Dean came back with a tin foil covered plate.

"Alright then. What do we need to do?"  
  



End file.
